Ship door



Feb. 20, 1951 F. M. LAMBERT 2,542,148

SHIP DOOR Filed Sept. 11, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 fi & 9 1 O O 0 a fiance's ,7f/Ja7nbert,

MRQMM Feb. 20, 1951 F. M. LAMBERT SHIP DOOR 6 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 11, 1945 Feb. 20, 1951 F. M. LAMBERT SHIP DOOR 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 11, 1945 6145 7- Maya,

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SHIP DOOR Filed Sept. 11, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 20, 1951 F. M. LAMBERT 2,542,143

SHIP DOOR Filed Sept. 11, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 20, 1951 F. M. LAMBERT 2,542,143

SHIP DOOR Filed Sept. 11/1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 g] mam/tom Patented Feb. 20, 1951 SHIP DOOR Francis M. Lambert, Narberth, Pa., assignor to Heintz Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 1.1, 1945, Serial No. 615,643

7 Claims. 1

This invention relat s to doors for ships blkhead openings and the like, and more particularly to a pair of doors disposed on opposite surfaces of a bulkhead opening, the doors being mounted for pivotal movement about vertical axes adiacent opposite edges of the opening. Doors of the general t pe to which the invention relates are known as clam shell doors and in accordance with the present invention mechanism is provided so that when either door is opened, the other door will automatically open to a corresponding degree. It is a general obect of the invention to provide a door structure having such mechanism.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision, in such a door structure, of tension means which act to apply greatest pressure on the doors when they are in closed position, the effect of such tension means diminishing, in a direction tending to close the doors, as the doors reach their open position.

The invention has for a still further object the provision of means, in such a door structure, for holding the doors in open position. Such holding means may be released manually by one desiring to close the door, or may be released through pneumatic or hydraulic means controlled at some distance from the door, as for example, from the bridge of the ship.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and. claims when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 4 is a View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 7; Fig. 5 is a view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail View taken on the line 66 of Fig.9; 7 I

Fig. 7 is a view taken on the line 'i'I of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 4; a

numeral It indicates a bulkhead frame provided with strengthening ribs I I. The bulkhead frame I9 has a door opening and this frame, adjacent the edges of the door opening, is provided with outstanding edge flanges I2 and I3 (see Fig. 2) These edge flanges I2 and I3 are adapted. to be engaged by a gasket carried by each of the two doors I 4 and I5 respectively adjacent their edges. The door I4 is mounted for swinging movement about the axis A (Fig. 2) while the door I5 is adapted for swinging movement about the axis B.

Both doors are similarly mounted and a brief description of the mounting for the door I4 should suflice. Door I4 is provided with two hinge supports I6 and I! to which are pivotally mounted, respectively, the hinge blades I8 and I9. The other ends of the hinge blades I8 and I9 extend through guide members 2!! and M, respectively, and are rigidly secured to a tubular shaft 22. Bracing members 23 and 24 act to reinforce the mounting of the hinge blades l8 and I9 with respect to the tubular shaft 22.

Mounted on the bulkhead frame I0 is a bracket carrying a bearing member 25 having an upwardly extending shaft 26 on which the lower end of the tubular shaft 22 is disposed for turning movement. The upper end of the tubular shaft 22 is likewise mounted for rotation about a shaft 21, Fig. 9, as will be described.

As previously mentioned, the arrangement is such that when either door is opened and swung about its pivotal axis, the other door is corre spondingly opened in the opposite direction and to a corresponding degree. This complementary opening and closing movement of the two doors I4 and I 5 is accomplished in the following manner. Above the door openings, the bulkhead frame I0 is provided with a rectangular opening in which is mounted a housing 28 for the operating mechanism. From an examination of Figs. 2 and 3 it will be noted that this housing 28 may be comprised of two portions which extend on opposite sides of the bulkheadframe l0, the housing 28 as a whole being disposed with its major axis at an angle to the plane of the bulkhead frame.

With reference now to Figs. '7 and 9, it will be noted that the housing at one end (the left end in Fig. 1) is provided with aligned sleeves 29 and 3B enclosing bearings 3] and 32 for the shaft 27, the lower end of which comprises a stub axle for the tubular shaft 22. The reference numeral 33 indicates washers in the sleeves 29 and 30 while packing is indicated by the reference numerals 3 34, 35 and 36. Intermediate the bearings 31 and 32, the shaft 21 is squared and has mounted thereon a sprocket 37, spacers 38 on each side of a cam 39, and a sprocket ii), the purpose of which elements will be hereinafter described.

The housing 28 (see Figs. 2 and 8) at its other end, also is provided with sleeves M, 1-22, and bearing structure for mounting a shaft $3, the portion of the shaft intermediate the sleeves being squared and on which portion are mounted a sprocket lit, a sleeve :25, and a spro set Qt. The lower end of shaft 13 likewise terminates in a stub shaft portion for rotatably receiving the tubular shaft i'l similarly to the manner in which tubular shaft 27 is mounted as shown. i Fig. 9.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the sprocket 49 and the sprocket G6 are joined by a roller chain #8 one end of which is secured as at 49 to the sprocket 49 while the other end is secured as at 50 to the sprocket 56. Reference numeral 53 indicates a take-up mechanism for taking up slack in the chain. In a similar manner (now referring to Fig. the sprocket 31 is connected to the sprocket it by means of a roller chain 52 one end of which is connected to the sprocket 3? while the other end is connected to the sprocket 44. Reference numeral 553 indicates a slack take-up mechanism for the roller chain 52.

Referring back to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the tubular shaft 22 is provided with an arm 5 which is joined to an arm 55 rigidly mounted on the shaft 21. Similarly, but not shown, the tubular shaft 37 for the door H5 has an arm joined to an arm carried by the shaft 83. Consequently, and because of the chain connected sprockets described, it should now be apparent that, for example, when the door Hi is opened, it will effect turning movement of the tubular shaft 22 and its arm 5-; and such turning movement will be transmitted by the arm 55 to the shaft 21, which shaft will rotate in a clockwise direction. Because of the connecting roller chains, the shaft 33 for the other door IE will also rotate in a clockwise direction.

In clam shell doors of this general type, it has sometimes been the practice to apply spring means to cause the doors to close automatically. Such spring means, however, have usually been devised so that their effect increases as the doors are opened and decreases as the doors reach their closed position. Such arrangements have several disadvantages in that they do not apply spring force at the point where it is most needed. The present invention, in contra-distinction to such known spring means, is so devised that the effect of the spring tension in a direction toward closing the doors will be greatest at the beginning of the opening of the doors, decreasing in intensity as the door reaches its open position. Moreover, because of a special leverarrangement the spring tension, as the door is being closed, is so applied as to exert its greatest effect in turning the doors about their pivotal axes. Such spring force consequently renders it easier to effect closing movement.

The mechanism for accomplishing the results referred to above will now be described. With reference now to Figs. 4, 6, '7, 8, and 9, it will be recalled that the shaft 21 has a cam Ed and spacers 38 disposed thereon between the sprockets 3? and do. In Fig. 6 the shape of the cam member 39 is perhaps most clear. The cam surface is generally circular in contour and is provided with two notches 5.5 and 5.1. Pivotally mounted in the housing 23 on the pivot pin 58 is a rocker arm 59, a perspective view of which is illustrated in Fig. 10. The rocker arm is provided with a roller as intermediate its ends, which roller engages the cam surface. Secured to the lower end of the rocker arm. 59 by means of a pin 6! is a turn buckle assembly 62, the eye bolt 53 of which passes around the pin 6!. The other end of the turn buckle assembly 52 is joined to a helical tension spring Ed, the other end of which is connected to a roller chain, 65 (see Fig. 4). The roller chain 55 at its other end is attached to a lever '56 which isv tangential to the shaft 43, and may be integral with shaft 13 or with sleeve :5 (see Figs. 4 and 8).

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a safety pin 61 provided with a roller $38. From Figs. 4, 6, and 9, it will be seen that the safety arm iil is pivotally mounted as at 69 with respect to the housing and is provided with an extension it, which moves with the safety arm. The end of the extension ill, in turn, is pivotally connected to a bolt H which comprises the actuated member of a sylphon bellows assembly 12.

The mechanism just described operates in the following manner. When either of the doors, it or E5 is opened by means of its respective handle 73, it, the other door will open correspondingly because of the roller chain connections described and illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5. Turning movement of the shafts 2i and 43. will likewise cause rotation of the cam mem ber 39 on the shaft 22', and of the sleeve 55 and lever bar 58 on the shaft 4,3,. As the doors begin their opening movement the helical spring it will stretch and the effect of the spring toward maintaining the doors closed is at its greatest because of the position of the lever bar 86 and the leverage on shaft 53. This will be apparent, from an examination of Fig. 4. However, as the doors approach their open position, the, lever 66 has moved clockwise so thatv the axis of the spring 54 is substantially in line with the shaft 63. Consequently, there will be little tendency for the spring to exert force to turn the shaft 53, in a counterclockwise direction.

Turning new to Fig. 6, it will be noted that when the door is opened substantially to fully open position, the roller 68 on the safety arm 61 will engage the notch 5? in the cam 39, since the cam has rotated clockwise so that the notch 51 is adjacent the roller 68. The engagement of the roller 68 in the notch 5'! thus holds the doors in their open position. They may, however, be released by a pull on-the doors toward closing position or they may be released through the bellows Sylphon assembly which may be controlled by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure from a point remote from the door, as for example, from the bridge of the ship. Actuation of the Sylphon will result in moving the bolt "H Llp-' Wardly thus moving the safety arm to the full line position shown in Fig. 6 thus removing roller 68 from notch 6'2. As soon as the shaft sshas moved counterclockwise a short distance, the position of the lever 56 changes and consequently also the axis of the spring and the sprin will thus exert its greatest force to close the doors.

It is of course apparent that where no latching in open position is desired, the pressure medium may be out off from the Sylphon bellows so that the safety arm 6? and its roller 68 will not bear against the cam. Where this is the case the doors consequently will only remain open as long as they are held in open position manually.

The roller 60 of the roller arm 59 partially. engages the notch 56 when the door is in closed position and thus helps to maintain the door in closed position.

With this arrangement it 'will be apparent that the spring force is applied with its greatest intensity, where it is most valuable, namely, to effect closing movement of the doors. Moreover, this arrangement makes for easier operation since the force required to open the door decreases as the door reaches its fully opened position at which point the spring exerts but little force on the shaft 43 to turn it toward closing position.

Having now described the invention, it will be apparent that changes in the structure and arrangement of the parts may be effected without departing from the scope thereof. The invention, therefore, should not be limited except as limited in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A door structure comprising a frame having a door opening therein, a pair of doors disposed on opposite surfaces of said frame, means for mounting the doors for pivotal movement about vertical axes which are disposed adjacent opposite side edges of the door opening, said frame having an upper opening therein above the door opening, a housing secured to the frame and enclosing said upper opening, a pair of shafts mounted in said housing and connected respectively to turn with said doors about their pivotal axes, means connecting said shafts for moving both doors between open and closed positions when one of saiddoors is moved, a lever mounted to turn with one of said shafts and extending laterally therefrom when the doors are in closed position, a helical spring connect-ed at one end adjacent the other of said shafts, and flexible means forming a continuation of said spring and connecting the other end of said spring to the free end of said lever.

2. A door structure comprising a frame having a door opening therein, a pair of doors disposed on opposite surfaces of said frame, means for mounting the doors for pivotal movement about vertical axes which are disposed adjacent opposite side edges of the door opening, said frame having an upper opening therein above the door opening, a housing secured to the frame and enclosing said upper opening, a pair of shafts mounted in said housing and connected respectively to turn with said doors about their pivotal axes, means connecting said shafts for moving both doors between open and closed position when one of said doors is moved, a lever mounted to turn with one of said shafts and extending laterally therefrom when the doors are in closed position, a cam mounted to rotate with the other shaft, a rocker arm pivoted to said housing and having a roller engaging the cam surface, a helical spring connecting said rocker arm and the free end of said lever and urging said roller against the cam surface.

3. A door structure comprising a frame having a door opening therein, a pair of doors disposed on opposite surfaces of said frames, means for mounting the doors for pivotal movement about vertical axes which are disposed adjacent opposite side edges of the door opening, said frame having an upper opening therein above the door opening, a housing secured to the frame and enclosing said upper opening, a pair of shafts mounted in said housing and connected respectively to turn with said doors about their pivotal axes, means connecting said shafts for moving both doors between open and closed position when one of said doors is moved, a lever mounted to turn with one of said shafts and extending laterally therefrom when the doors are in closed position, a cam mounted to rotate with the other shaft, a rocker arm pivoted to said housing and having a roller engaging the cam surface, a helical spring connecting said rocker arm and the free end of said lever and urging said roller against the cam surface, a safety arm pivotally mounted within said housing and having a roller engagin the cam surface, said cam having a notch adapted to be engaged by the roller on the safety arm when the doors are in open position to releasably retain them in open position.

4. A door structure comprising a frame hav ing a door opening therein, a pair of doors disposed on opposite surfaces of said frame, means for mounting the doors for pivotal movement about vertical axes which are disposed adjacent opposite side edges of the door opening, said frame having an upper opening therein above the door opening, a housing secured to the frame and enclosing said upper opening, a pair of shafts mounted in said housing and connected respectively to turn with said doors about their pivotal axes, means connecting said shafts for moving both doors between open and closed position when one of said doors is moved, a lever mounted to turn with one of said shafts and extending laterally therefrom when the doors are in closed position, a cam mounted to rotate with the other shaft, a rocker arm pivoted to said housing and having a roller engaging the cam surface, a helical spring connecting said rocker arm and the free end of said lever and urging said roller against the cam surface, a safety arm pivotally mounted with said housing and having a roller engaging the cam surface, said cam having a notch adapted to be engaged by the roller on the safety arm when the doors are in open position to releasably retain them in open position, and means for moving said safety arm to release its roller from said notch when it is desired to close the doors automatically.

5. A pair of doors for closing a single opening, each of said doors being of a size to completely close the opening, means for mounting the doors for pivoting movement about two separate axes, which are located adjacent opposite side edges of the door opening and are located one on each side of the plane of said opening, rotatable shafts aligned with each of said axes, sprockets mounted on said shafts for turning movement with said doors about each axis, chain means connecting said sprockets to transmit pivoting movement of either door to the other, a helical spring held at one end adjacent one of said sprockets, a lever movable with the shaft carrying the other sprocket, and flexible means connecting said helical spring with said lever at a point spaced from the axis of rotation of the shaft with which said lever moves, said lever being mounted so as to move said point of attachment away from said spring when said doors are opened and simultaneously to shorten the effective lever arm to diminish the eifect of said spring in urging said doors toward closed position, said flexible means being effective, despite movement of said lever to a dead center or over center position, to transmit the force of said spring to said lever arm in such manner as to 7 cause said lever to be urged in a door closing direction at all times with at least part of the force of said spring, regardless of the dead center or over center location of said lever.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5, there being two sprockets spaced apart on each of said shafts in an axial direction, each sprocket 1ying in the same plane as a sprocket on the other shaft, said lever and the spring being located between said two planes.

7. A pair of doors for closing a single opening in a frame, each of said doors being of a size as to completely close the opening, means for mounting the doors to said frame for pivoting movement, the pivotal axis of one of the doors being disposed adjacent one side edge of the door opening in said frame and spaced from the plane of the opening in a first direction, the pivotal axis of the other door being disposed adjacent the opposite side edge of the door opening in said frame and spaced from the plane of the opening in a second direction opposite to said first direction, elements coaxial with the axes of each of said doors and mounted to turn therewith, lever means fixedly mounted to one of said elements and extending laterally therefrom, movement transmitting means connecting the elements whereby pivoting movement of REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 374,584 Cook Dec. 13, 1887 541,253 Stuhler June 18, 1895 1,373,567 Ovcrlien Apr. 5, 1921 2,103,291 Lambert et a1 Dec. 28, 1937 2,222,841 Houlis Nov. 26, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 477,511 Great Britain Dec. 31, 1937 

